Video: LINES Ballet in Alonzo King’s Rasa, whichwill be part of the Israel Festival.

Spring festival fever has hit Israel. The Big Stage Festival is in full swing at Suzanne Dellal in Tel Aviv. There’s many Shavuot festivals planned around the country, and several of them focus on dance and movement. And from May 24th to June 11th, the Israel Festival will bring world-renowned performing artists in all disciplines to Jerusalem.

The Israel Festival has been a mainstay of the spring festival season since its founding in 1961, though its character has evolved over time. From its roots as a music festival in Caesarea, the event expanded to include theater and dance. The Israel Festival moved most of its performances to Jerusalem in 1982, and it remains there today.

Although it bears this country’s name, the Israel Festival is truly an international event showcasing high-quality art from both in and out of Israel. A quick survey of this year’s dance offerings alone yields four different countries from three different continents (and that’s besides Israel!).